Description: Colombia’s Defense Minister, Pedro Sanchez, has stated that the Colombian military conducted airstrikes on a camp of FARC dissidents killing 19 people. The group was reportedly closely associated with an infamous dissident leader known by the alias Ivan Mordisco. Mordisco’s group was responsible for the attacks on government and military buildings in Aug and the airstrikes were conducted as a result of a meticulous intelligence and military operation. The attacks were conducted only a day after Colombia’s President, Gustavo Petro announced that his country would terminate intelligence sharing with the US regarding the attacks of the US military on boats in the Caribbean. The US government last month imposed financial sanctions on the Colombian President for failure to address Colombia’s surging issues with drug production and trafficking.
Impact: Colombia’s targeting of dissident groups pertaining to the former FARC rebel organization arrives on the back of increased pressure from the US as well as intensification of activities and operations by the dissident groups operating in several areas crucial to drug trade within Colombia. Dissident groups such as the National Liberation Army (ELN) and other militants controlling key drug trafficking and trade routes that connect Colombia with the regional and international drug trade have increased their activities in the past year, attacking government and military buildings while diversifying their sources of revenue through illegal drug trade. President Gustavo Petro broke off negotiations with the other dissident groups in Jan 2025 and pledged to suppress their activities and neutralize the structures through military operations. These kinds of attacks are expected to continue and even increase in numbers if the groups and the government establishment don’t converge towards resolving the conflicts and tackling the drug trade.